When dogs develop bacterial illnesses such as kennel cough, urinary tract infections or staphylococcal dermatitis, veterinarians will prescribe antibiotics to kill or weaken disease-causing bacteria so that a dog’s immune system can attack and eliminate the bacteria more easily. Antibiotics are formulated to “ignore” canine body cells by being able to differentiate between regular cells and bacteria. For example, bacteria have cell walls while canine blood and tissue cells do not. Cells and bacteria also differ in the way their cell membranes function, especially regarding DNA replication and the manufacturing of proteins.

Antibiotics Do Not Work Against Viral Infections

Antibiotics cannot kill viruses because they are not designed to attack viral “machinery”. Completely unlike bacteria, viruses invade and kill other cells while bacteria multiply prolifically until they outnumber “good” bacteria. Unfortunately, antibiotics also kill bacteria that is beneficial to a dog’s overall health, cause side effects that can make the dog feel even more ill and promote antibiotic resistance. As a result of the contradictory response dogs have to antibiotics, many dog owners are discovering the health advantages of probiotics.

Antibiotics do no good against viral infections.

Commonly Prescribed Antibiotics for Dogs

Beta-Lactams (cephalosporin and penicillen)–these antibiotics eliminate bacteria with cell walls by dissolving walls and forcing the bacteria to burst and die.

Macrolides (erythromycin) – macrolides target ribosomes within bacteria responsible for creating proteins. Without proteins to fuel a bacterium, it will die. Erythromycin is prescribed to treat canine skin infections and respiratory ailments.

Quinolones (levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin) – prescribed for treating pneumonia and bronchitis in dogs, quinolones interfere with the ability of bacterial DNA to copy itself. Without intact strands of DNA, bacteria cannot reproduce or live.

Albon (sulfadimethoxine) – Albon is a general antibiotic that treats a variety of bacterial infections by inhibiting reproduction of bacteria.

Penicillen is one of the commonly prescribed antibiotics given to dogs.

5 Health Issues Caused by Canine Antibiotics

1. Secondary infections can emerge in dogs taking antibiotics due to antibiotics indiscriminately killing off beneficial bacteria in addition to the “bad” bacteria. Yeast infections are a common side effect of antibiotics because the drug switches the normal balance of 20 percent “bad” bacteria and 80 percent “good” bacteria to nearly all bad bacteria.

2. Irritable bowel syndrome, an inflammatory disorder characterized by diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration and abdominal pain. Untreated IBS can also lead to shock and coma due to severe dehydration as organs start failing and systems start shutting down.

3. Since antibiotics can lower immune system functioning by disrupting bacteria levels in the intestines dogs are susceptible to having high white blood cell counts and recurring fevers that indicate an infection exists somewhere in the body.

4. Kidney or liver disease have been known to affect dogs on a regimen of antibiotics, especially if they are taking a combination of antibiotics and Immunosuppressant drugs. Both suppress immune system functioning and can leave the dog vulnerable to organ failure and systemic infections.

5. Blood in the urine of dogs taking antibiotics is not unusual as the imbalance of good/bad bacteria worsens, allowing health problems like kidney stones, UTIs and allergic reactions to antibiotics to produce bloody urine.

Antibiotics can cause recurring fevers because they lower the defense of the immune system.

Prevent Canine Antibiotic Stress with Probiotics

Giving probiotic supplements to your dog while they are taking antibiotics will help restore and maintain good bacteria levels in their intestines while significantly improving immune system functioning to facilitate elimination of an infection. Probiotics contain nothing but naturally beneficial bacteria and is the only effective, holistic method of preventing overgrowth of bad bacteria.

Disclaimer: the advice and information in this article is not intended to be used as a replacement for seeking medical attention if your dog is experiencing side effects from antibiotic use or other health issues.

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Doggy's Digest was started out of a love for canines and a need on the web for more information about probiotics for dogs. Our goal is to make this website the number one resource for optimizing your k9's digestive health and beyond!